Homecoming
by Captain Anon
Summary: It's senior year and homecoming weekend starts tonight for Angel Grove High. Between missing Kimberly from afar and fumbling through an awkward friendship with the new pink ranger, is there any hope that Tommy will have a good time?


_**Author's Note:** Just something quick I whipped up while **Cost of Revenge** is being written. Big thanks to my awesome beta **psycochick32** for the plot bunny. Hope you guys like it! :D_

* * *

**Angel Grove High School**

**Cafeteria**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**Homecoming Weekend, Friday**

**12:24 PM**

'_Homecoming weekend sucks,'_ Tommy thought bitterly as he prodded his food.

"Do you have to keep picking at it?" Rocky asked in disgust.

Tommy looked up at the red ranger. "Well, I'm certainly not going to eat it."

Lunch on Fridays at Angel Grove High were always interesting, especially with the newly-implemented surprise dishes. Tommy had the misfortune of getting to lunch late, again, and was forced to get the mystery dish. It looked edible and he even considered possibly tasting it… until it gargled at him.

"What the hell _is _this?" asked Tommy.

Adam scrunched up his face. "I think it's supposed to be beef stroganoff."

Rocky shook his head. "That's not beef stroganoff… that's not even _beef_…"

Tommy dropped his fork onto his tray before pushing the meal away from him. "Dammit, and I was hungry, too."

Billy shuffled through his packed lunch. "You can have the other half of my sandwich if you'd like. It's turkey and Swiss." He pulled it out of the lunchbox. "I didn't finish it because I had a big-"

Tommy grabbed the offered food from the blue ranger quickly, tearing off the wrapper as he began to devour the sandwich.

"–breakfast," Billy finished lamely before turning to the others. "So are we still on for the evening? All of us will be attending the homecoming dance followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant?"

Adam's expression soured. "Yeah."

Rocky nudged his best friend in the shoulder. "Cheer up, Adam. The hard part's over… you got a date."

"Yeah, but I can't dance," he grumbled.

Rocky shrugged. "Well yeah… but _she _doesn't know that." He turned to Billy. "Who are you going with, blue?"

Billy pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I can't say," he said quickly, heat creeping up his neck.

"Is she ugly or something?" Rocky asked in concern.

Billy rolled his eyes. "No."

"Because if she was and that were the reason you wanted to be hush about it, it's okay."

"My date is quite attractive, Rocky. Gorgeous, actually, and I am not ashamed of her," said the blue ranger fiercely.

"_Nice_," said Rocky with a grin. "So Billy's with a mystery lady, Adam's taking Janet, I'm going with 'Sha… who are you taking, Tommy?"

The white ranger paused mid-chew. "Calphin."

Adam's eyes widened in disbelief. "_Calvin?_ But that's a guy…"

The white ranger glared angrily as he swallowed his food. "I said _Katherine_."

A silence fell over the table, and Tommy looked around at his friends in confusion. They all averted their gaze.

"What?"

"You're taking Katherine? Katherine _Hillard_?" asked Rocky.

"Do we know any other Katherines?"

Billy shifted next to him. "Are you sure that was a wise choice, Tommy? Given her unresolved… _feelings_ for you."

The white ranger sighed. "Look, I know Kat has a crush on me… Aisha's made sure I'm _painfully_ aware of that fact, but it doesn't mean anything. I'm with Kimberly." His chest tightened at the thought of his petite girlfriend, who was on the other side of the country. It had been difficult being apart from her, and he missed her terribly.

"It's not just that," said Rocky, pulling Tommy from his thoughts. "Have you _seen_ the way she looks at you? I swear you have that girl seeing stars whenever she looks your way."

Billy cleared his throat, though there were traces of a smile on his lips. "I think what Rocky is trying to say is that perhaps in taking her to the homecoming dance, you're giving her the impression that more will come of your relationship."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "You think I'm leading her on."

Adam shot a look at Billy. "No, not leading her on necessarily… jus-"

"Yes," Rocky cut in as he munched on some fries. "She's gonna get all dolled up tonight just for you, thinking you're going to dance the night away and probably end the night with a big fat smooch and a proposal… just for you to pump the brakes at the last second and say no."

"I wouldn't do that to Kat," argued Tommy.

"Not on purpose… _maybe_… but who ever intentionally tries to hurt someone they care about?" He picked up another fry, using it to point at Tommy. "I'd back out now if I were you, _cabr__ó__n_."

"He can't do that, Rock," said Adam. "Ending their date the day of homecoming would be embarrassing."

"It's not a –"

Rocky scoffed. "Well, do you think going out with her tonight sounds like a good plan?"

Tommy gritted his teeth. "We're not going o-"

Adam sighed. "Look, so it's not really a _good_ idea…"

Rocky cut in, eyebrows raised. "It's a _bad_ one."

"…but it's too late now, right?" continued Adam. "I mean… he just has to go through with it since it's the day-of and all."

"I'm right here," mumbled Tommy. "I can speak for myself."

Rocky turned to him. "You've spoken enough… clearly." Billy snickered.

Tommy caught sight of Katherine behind Rocky in the lunch line, and she shyly waved in his direction. He waved back with a small grin before he felt a swift kick to his shin, drawing his attention back to the red ranger.

Tommy glared. "Kick me like that again, and it'll be the last thing you ever do."

Rocky ignored his threat. "The girl's about to burst outta her damn skin because she's going on a date with you."

"How many times do I have to say it's _not_ a date?" growled Tommy.

Rocky shook his head. "It doesn't matter if _you_ don't think it's a date; Kat _does_." He held up his hand, ticking off each point with his finger. "You asked her out –"

"I invited her to a dance."

Rocky's middle finger went up with a glare. "You're taking her dancing–"

"It's not like that."

"You're picking her up at her house–" The ring finger went up.

"I've picked you up before… does that make us official, Rocky?"

Adam snorted at this, only to stifle his laughter at Rocky's heated glare.

"And last," continued the red ranger, "you're taking her out to eat afterwards." The pinky finger joined the others.

Tommy rolled his eyes. "I _really_ don't think McDonald's counts, especially with a group."

Billy nodded. "I agree with Tommy. If Kat considers that romantic, she obviously needs to reevaluate the qualities she prefers in a companion…"

"My point," said Rocky loudly, "is that everything you're planning has the elements of-"

"The most platonic night in the history of life," finished Tommy. "I said it once, I'll say it again. I'm not going on a date with Kat; she knows I'm with Kim. It's just a night out between friends. We're done talking about this."

Rocky opened his mouth to continue but closed it tightly when a shadow fell over Tommy's body from behind. The white ranger raised an eyebrow when the boys went silent suddenly, each focused intently on his own tray.

"Hi, Tommy," said a feminine voice behind him. The Australian accent let him know exactly who it was.

He turned, a weak smile on his face. "Hey, Kat."

She smiled brightly at him, blue eyes shining. "We're still on for our date tonight, right?"

A kick to his shin – hitting the same spot as before – caused him to curse internally. "Yeah," he croaked out. "I'll pick you up at 7:45."

Kat nodded, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. "Okay… see you then." She looked over at the others. "Hi guys."

They mumbled their greetings, waiting until she was far away before speaking again. Rocky glared angrily at Tommy.

The white ranger sighed in defeat. "Shut up, Rocky."

* * *

**Oliver Residence**

**The Basement, Tommy's Room**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**4:14 PM**

Tommy rolled onto his back with a sigh as he stared blankly at the rotating ceiling fan. His karate class was cancelled since the Youth Center had to be decorated for the dance. He was more than a tad disgruntled about this, but he had to respect Ernie's decision. He tried to calm his nerves about tonight by going through a few practice katas, but that only left him sore.

'_Things would be so much easier if Kim were here,' _he thought in irritation. _'Kat would know to keep her distance; I wouldn't be going to this stupid dance with her… but more importantly, _Kim_ would be _here_.'_

He let out a deep breath. _'Maybe a short nap is exactly what I need,'_ he mumbled to himself, eyes closing. _'I can give Kim a call afterwards. She always knows how to make things better.'_

A loud bang from above caused his eyes to snap open in alarm, and the white ranger sat up quickly.

"Or not."

The sound of footsteps pounding down the stairs to his room caused his eyes to narrow… until he saw a flash of yellow. "Aisha?"

The yellow ranger let out a sigh of relief. "_There_ you are." She cocked her head to the side. "What are you doing in bed?"

"What are _you_ doing in my house?" he asked.

She rushed over to his bed, grabbing the ends of his sheets before snatching them away from him.

"Aisha! What the hell?"

She crawled onto the bed, grabbing his arms and pulling him off the bed.

Tommy fell in a heap on the floor, and he looked up bewildered to see Aisha standing over him with an annoyed expression.

"I don't have time for this, Tommy. Get up… I'm on a tight schedule."

He climbed to his feet. "A schedule for what?"

She looked at her watch. "I only have…" she let out a groan. "Forty-four minutes to get you, Billy, Rocky and Adam ready for the dance tonight."

He blinked. "But it's only 4:16… 'Sha, the dance starts at 8…"

A panicked look crossed her face. "Don't remind me how little time I have left!"

He stood awkwardly as she eyed him up and down. "Well? Are you going to do it yourself or will I have to?"

"Do what?" he asked.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Strip."

Tommy's eyes widened. "_Excuse me?_"

"Take off your clothes… now." When he didn't move, she let out an annoyed huff. "I don't have time for this."

All Tommy felt were hands on his hips before his sweatpants were yanked down his legs. He let out a startled yelp, grabbing her hands quickly when she got to his knees. "What are you _doing_?"

"Well you were _obviously_ having difficulties. I'm trying to expedite this little process and you're not helping." She moved to tug at his pants again and he swatted her hands away frantically.

"I think I can handle this on my own," he hissed.

She rolled her eyes, releasing him. "Well, hurry up then."

Aisha moved to his closet, throwing clothes at an alarming pace over her shoulder to land on his bed. Meanwhile, Tommy stepped out of his sweatpants, throwing them off to the side before pulling his worn wifebeater over his head to join his discarded pants. He scratched his neck uncomfortably as he stood in only black boxer briefs in his room, silver falcon pendant hanging around his neck.

Aisha threw him a look. "You know we really do need to take you shopping again. All of these clothes are _so_ last year."

Tommy made a face. "I'd rather not go shopping with you, if you don't mind. I still bear the scars from last spring."

The yellow ranger grinned as she inspected a pair of light jeans. "You act as if you went to war."

"I think war would be preferable," he mumbled under his breath, only to get hit in the face with the jeans.

"Sorry," she said cheekily. "Come here."

He eyed her warily. "What're you going to do to me?"

"I'm going to _smack_ you if you don't get over here right now," she hissed, and he shuffled over quickly.

Aisha's eyes raked over his body and she smirked. "Aren't you a big boy?"

Heat raced to his cheeks. "_Aisha!_"

She laughed. "Please, Tommy. You don't have anything I haven't seen or heard about."

He frowned. "What do you mean, hea-"

"Ah," she said excitedly, interrupting him. "These are the ones." She held up dark denim jeans to his legs. "Put those on."

He rolled his eyes as he snatched the jeans from her. "Why are you doing this?"

She sighed. "Because if it were up to you, you'd wear sweatpants and a hoodie to this dance."

He paused, hands on his zipper. "What's wrong with that?"

She sucked her teeth. "Exactly." She pointed at him. "People know you, Tommy, and more importantly, people know that _I _know you. I can't have you or the others embarrassing me." She turned to look at him. "Go put on a black undershirt."

He followed her orders obediently, opening his top drawer and grabbing a black wifebeater. "Can I ask a question?"

"Shoot," she said distractedly.

"Why are you helping me get ready for the dance?"

"I just told you." She frowned. "And why wouldn't I? You're one of my best friends."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well yeah… but I mean… you _do_ know I'm going with Kat, right?"

Aisha paused briefly before continuing her search through his closet. "So I heard."

"And if I remember correctly, you don't want me anywhere near Kat…"

"Then it's _great_ to know you value my opinion…" she said sarcastically, causing him to glare at her.

Aisha laughed. "Tommy, I never said that and you know it. I just said to be careful with her because she obviously has feelings you don't, and _better_ _not_, return."

"I don't," he said fiercely.

"Good, then there's nothing wrong with you enjoying a night out with a friend," she said with a smile. Aisha pulled out an all-white button down shirt. "Put this on," she ordered.

He grabbed it with sad eyes, fingers playing softly with the buttons. "This was Kim's favorite shirt to see me in."

"And with good reason, it looks good on you." Aisha shot him an understanding glance when she caught sight of his face. "I miss her, too, Tommy."

He let out a deep breath before shrugging the shirt on. Her eyes lit up happily when she saw him.

"You look _hot_."

He flushed. "You're sure that's what I should l be going for?"

Aisha grinned. "Mmmm-hm."

_Now_ he was suspicious. "Okay, what gives? Normally you're on my ass like a hawk when it comes to Kat, and now you're dressing me to look…" He raised his hands using air quotes. "…'hot.' You're even telling me to wear Kim's favorite shirt when I go out with Kat tonight."

Aisha put her hands on her hips. "Tommy, you could walk around wearing a damn garbage bag and Kat would think you were the sexiest man on Earth."

He smiled at that.

"I know nothing's going on with you two, and it doesn't matter to me that she likes you; nothing will happen because you know I'd kill you." She poked him playfully. "Honestly, I'm just trying to give you some style for tonight. Scout's honor."

He narrowed his eyes, still not completely convinced. "Right… you were never a girl scout."

"It's just an expression, damn, so paranoid." She shook her head before checking her watch. "All right, I have to go… still need to help Billy and Rocky." She pointed at him. "Wear that outfit tonight with those shoes." She pointed at the white and black Nikes in the corner.

"Kay," he mumbled.

"And please shower before you go. I know how you boys are."

"Yes, mother," he said sarcastically.

"And hair down tonight. No ponytail."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Aisha grinned before standing on the tips of her toes to plant a wet kiss on his cheek, much to his chagrin. "See you tonight."

He watched her ascend the stairs before turning around, taking off his clothes and setting them in his desk chair to put on later. He put back on his sweatpants and undershirt in preparation for sleep, only to groan when he saw the massive mound of clothes all over his bed and floor.

'_She _would_ leave me to clean up her mess.'_

"Dammit."

* * *

**Hillard Residence**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**7:45 PM**

Tommy parked his jeep in front of the small white house, turning off the engine with a sigh. He was already in a bad mood. He had tried to call Kim earlier before leaving to pick up Kat, but her roommate said she was out for a meet for the weekend.

He didn't realize how much not hearing her voice could affect him.

He made his way to the front door, knocking twice before he waited. The white door opened widely, revealing an out-of-breath Katherine, a wide grin on her face.

"Hi, Tommy! I'm a little surprised you're on time," she admitted.

He shrugged. "Ready to go?"

"Yes, just let me grab my purse." Tommy stood patiently on the porch as she retrieved the small white bag.

"All right, I'm ready," she said.

Tommy led her to his jeep, opening the passenger side to let her in. "Thanks," she said softly.

He smiled politely, waiting until she was safely inside before closing the door forcefully. He climbed in behind the wheel and backed out of the driveway.

Kat glanced at him shyly. "I was shocked when you asked me to the dance. I wasn't expecting it."

'_Me either.'_

Tommy glanced at her quickly before returning to look out at the road. "Well, I knew you wanted to go and it seemed like it could be fun… why not go together as friends?"

"Oh," she said, slightly disappointed. "Right… o-of course."

The white ranger gripped the steering wheel tightly as they waited at the red light. "Because, you know, as_ friends_, it's normal for us to do stuff like this… _friendly _stuff."

The pink ranger frowned. "Of course," she said softly.

He inwardly groaned at the hurt expression on her face. _'Could you have laid it on any thicker, Oliver?'_

It really wasn't Kat's fault he was in a shitty mood or that he felt uneasy about being on a date-but-not-really with her when he had a girlfriend he loved dearly on the other side of the country.

'_And yet, I'm taking it out on her like an asshole.'_ Sometimes he really hated being nice.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, making Tommy eternally grateful that the Youth Center was only a few minutes away. He pulled into an empty parking once they reached their destination, and he was alarmed at how quickly Kat tried to get out of the jeep.

'_I already ruined her night and we haven't even started dancing yet.'_

"Kat… Kat, stop!" he yelled, grabbing her arms. She froze at his touch. "_Stop_."

"Look," he rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm sorry… about earlier. It's just I'm not sure how to do this… how to act around you and… when- you _know_… and stupid Rocky said…" He trailed off when he realized from her expression that she didn't understand a single thing he was talking about.

"And…" He sighed. "You, uh… you look really… pretty tonight, Kat. I'm sorry I didn't say that earlier."

_That_ got a positive response. He had originally planned on telling her she looked beautiful, but that would've been a lie. Only Kimberly deserved that title.

He gave a strained smile when she beamed at him. "Thank you, Tommy. You look quite handsome yourself."

The white ranger made a strangled noise in the back of his throat. "Kat, about tonight… I-"

She held up a hand, finger pressing to his lips. "It's all right, Tommy, you don't have to say anything, I already know." She squeezed his thigh gently before opening the door and climbing out of the small white jeep.

Tommy held back a frustrated scream. He was sure she didn't understand at all.

The white ranger climbed out of his jeep moodily, frustrated at his inability to articulate his thoughts to Katherine. She wrapped an arm around his forearm, pressing herself into his side. The back of his throat began to itch from the strength of her perfume, and he discreetly tried to cough in order to clear his system.

The two of them received several double-takes upon entering the Youth Center, and Tommy could feel the hateful glares from the cheerleaders at his seeming betrayal of Kimberly. Katherine dragged him over to the rest of the rangers, and he was annoyed to see Rocky and Billy looking at him with amused expressions.

"How are you two this evening?" asked Billy. Rocky simply took a sip of his punch.

"Great," said Katherine. "I can't believe they got these decorations done in one afternoon. This is _amazing_."

"Yeah," mumbled Tommy. "Mind-blowing." The sounds of a slow song Tommy didn't know filled the air, and he panicked when he saw the determined glint in Kat's eyes.

"Tommy, do you want to-"

"Don't really dance to slow songs," he said cutting her off. "Not my thing."

She looked down. "Oh."

'_Dammit…'_

"But maybe the next one?" he offered.

She grinned. "Deal."

Tommy turned to Billy. "Where's your mystery date? Ditch you already for someone more interesting?"

"Amusing," Billy said dryly. "She'll be here shortly."

"Anyone we know?" asked Rocky.

Billy shrugged. "Maybe."

Tommy opened his mouth to question Billy further, but he felt a tug on his arm and noticed Aisha pulling him towards the dance floor.

"Oh, Aisha," said Kat from behind Tommy. "He doesn't really dance to slow songs."

"Oh, really? He said that? That's cute." She pulled harder on him. "Let's go."

Tommy shot Kat an apologetic glance as he was dragged away by the yellow ranger. They stopped in the middle of the dance floor, and Aisha placed her hands on his shoulders. Tommy's hands fell about her waist.

"Care to explain why you dragged me away from Kat?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain why you lied and said you don't dance to slow songs?"

He shut his mouth.

"That's what I thought."

The two swayed gently on the dance floor in silence, and Tommy noticed that, for the first time all evening, he was starting to relax.

"How bad is it?" asked Aisha.

Tommy fidgeted uncomfortably. "It was good for all of ten seconds… then I spoke."

She swore softly under her breath. "What happened?"

He pressed a hand to his forehead. "I picked her up and tried to let her know this wasn't a date in a subtle way."

"You have the subtlety of a freight train," said Aisha. "So that can only mean you went overboard."

"Just a bit. And I really hurt her feelings, 'Sha… that's the last thing I wanted to do. Kat's really nice."

Aisha nodded, looking past him at Kat who was by the Juice Bar. "She doesn't look upset."

"Well, that's because I made it better." He turned them around so that he could see Katherine. "I tried to explain to her why I said what I did but it didn't really come out right… actually, it didn't come out at all. She was confused so I just told her she was pretty and hoped that would work instead."

Aisha smacked him hard in the arm. "Why the _hell_ would you think that's a good idea?"

He rubbed his arm with a wince. "When Kim and I would argue, I'd say something like that to distract her and it usually worked. I figured, what the hell, and tried it on Kat… worked like a charm."

Aisha sighed tiredly. "God, you're an idiot."

"How was that wrong? I was trying not to hurt her feelings and managed to compliment her at the same time!"

The yellow ranger scowled. "By sending her a shitload of mixed messages? Think, Tommy. First you tell her this is purely friendly… then you get all tongue-tied and blurt out she's pretty."

His expression remained blank. "Yeah?"

Aisha shook her head. "You can't be this – shit, Kat's coming."

"What?" he asked, panicking when Aisha pulled away from him. "Aisha, no… _stop_, don't leave me alone with her," he pleaded.

"Kat! He's all yours," she said sweetly. "Cute dress, by the way. Forgot to mention it earlier."

"That seems to be happening to everyone I meet," the Australian mumbled dejectedly.

Aisha wrenched her hand free from Tommy's grasp. "You two have fun!"

Tommy glared at her retreating from for some time before turning to Kat. He cleared his throat. "So… wanna dance?"

Kat stepped forward, pressing herself into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Tommy stood stiffly, unsure of what to do with his hands. He finally decided to leave them at his sides, clenched into tight fists.

"Tommy," laughed Kat. "It's all right to touch me."

'_It really isn't.'_

"Yeah... I know. I was just…" Her hands moved down to his, moving them around her to rest on the visible skin of her back. "…right."

Her hands found their way into his hair, twirling the long brown strands around her fingers as she rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair tickled his nose, and he fought the urge to sneeze on her. He never had that problem with Kimberly, with her being so short and all. And she never made him this nervous… not since they started dating, anyway…

"You smell good," Kat said softly into the crook of his neck.

"Um… thanks." He glanced down at her. "It's Irish… Springs. The soap, I mean."

Kat chuckled. "I know."

He felt her press closer to him and shuddered involuntarily. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

**The Youth Center**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**9:46 PM**

Tommy wasn't sure how many times or how long he had spent dancing with Katherine so far, but he was getting bored with it. She had monopolized his time from the start of the second song, and he hadn't been able to talk to any of his friends because she was clinging to him.

And truthfully, he _really _needed to pee.

"Hey, excuse me." Tommy felt a tap on his shoulder. "Do you mind if I cut in and have a dance with the pretty lady?"

The white ranger nearly shoved Kat off of him in relief. "Absolutely, man. She's all yo-"

His eyes widened when he caught sight of the stranger's face. "_Zack_?"

The former black ranger grinned. "In the flesh."

Tommy pulled his old friend into a fierce hug. "What the- how did you… it's so good to see you!"

"Likewise, man, it's definitely been awhile. Trini's here, too."

"She is?" He looked around the room anxiously.

"Yeah, she's Billy's date for the night. Didn't he tell you?"

Tommy shook his head with a laugh. "No, he didn't… sneaky bastard. Is Jase here as well?"

Zack looked at him sadly. "Unfortunately, no. Trini and I are here for a conference over in Los Angeles for the week. The timing was just coincidental and we were able to make it to Angel Grove for the weekend. Jason's over in Tokyo for another conference. He was put on a different team than us, so he ended up elsewhere. He really wanted to be here, though."

Tommy nodded, clearly disappointed. "I'm sure I'll see him eventually."

It was then that he noticed Zack's gaze was no longer on him but on Katherine, and he remembered the two had never met each other.

"Oh, right." He pointed at Kat. "Zack, this is Katherine Hillard. She's from Australia. Kat, this is Zack Taylor. He used to go to AGH before he was selected to participate as a delegate in the Peace Conference two years ago."

He lowered his voice. "Kat's pink now… and Zack was black."

Zack frowned, not understanding Tommy's meaning. "I'm _still_ Black…"

Tommy glared. "Not like that." He pointed to his communicator.

"Oh…_ohhh_. Gotcha."

The two shook hands, and Zack brought hers up to his lips, kissing the back of it softly much to her delight. "It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady," he said with a wide smile.

"Tommy, you never told me the previous members were so handsome… and charming." Zack threw her a wink.

"Oh yeah, they're _real_ studs," Tommy said dryly before shaking his head. "Anyway, I'm going to leave you two, let you get introduced… and… stuff. I need to go to the men's room."

He didn't bother to hear their response as he took off for the bathroom. Lucky for him, the stalls were empty and he was able to finish quickly before heading back out. He watched as Zack and Katherine danced exuberantly on the dance floor, and he was glad the pink ranger was able to have fun, despite not being the one she enjoyed it with.

'_I would've been terrible company anyway.'_

"I'd know that long hair anywhere," said a teasing voice beside him, and he grinned when he caught sight of Trini heading to him with a wide smile.

"Trini Kwan, looking lovelier than ever. I've missed you," he said as he hugged her tightly.

"It's been too long," she murmured before pulling away. "Where's your date?"

"My _person I came with_," he stressed heavily, "is out there being romanced by none other than Zack." He pointed to the two on the floor.

"Poor girl… she's a goner," said Trini with a smile. "How've you been?"

He shrugged. "Been better, been worse."

"Not having fun?" she asked with a frown. He made a noncommittal noise.

"Kim's not here… never had too much fun at these things without her."

Trini's hand found his back and she made circles along his spine. "Maybe you should go outside… take a breather from all the energy in here."

He sighed. "I don't think it'll help."

"You never know… fresh air is good for a lot of things."

"Nah, I'm fine."

Trini frowned. "I really think you should try."

"No worries, Tri, I'm good." He smiled. "But enough about me; how's Geneva and the Conference? You must've traveled all over the place in the last –"

"Tommy, go outside." She sounded irritated.

"Trini, I told you I'm fine… _really_."

"Well then, come with me outside," she said suddenly. "I feel lightheaded in here."

He looked at her in concern. "Are you okay? Do you need me to get Billy?"

Trini closed her eyes in annoyance. "No… just come with me out the door."

"Trini, what-"

A frustrated growl cut him off. "Why is he still here?" It was Aisha.

"I've been trying but he won't listen," Trini complained.

Aisha gently pushed him. "Go out the door. Now."

He stared her down. "Why?"

"Because I said so."

"No," he said defiantly, arms crossed over his chest.

Aisha's nostrils flared. "Tommy, do what I say or you'll regret it."

"Tell me why first."

"Okay, fuck this," said Rocky, who had been quietly observing from his perch against the wall. "This is taking entirely too long."

He rushed Tommy, tackling the older teen and using brute force to get him out the door. He managed to catch Tommy off guard, sending the white ranger back several feet before he began to fight back. Aisha and Trini stood on either side of Rocky, helping him shove Tommy through the front doors of the Youth Center. It wasn't a fair fight with the girls involved, as they knew Tommy would never hurt them, and they used that to their advantage.

"What are you doing?" shouted Tommy angrily as he tried to stop them.

"Stop fighting us and just go through the _fucking_ door!" yelled Rocky between heavy pants.

The four were a mass of tangled limbs and loud expletives, and it was with one final surge that Tommy found himself stumbling out of the Youth Center doors and falling on his ass. His head slammed against the ground and he groaned, seeing stars.

"You'll thank me for this later!" yelled Aisha before closing the door.

The white ranger pushed himself off the ground shakily, attempting in vain to straighten out his wrinkled clothes. His head hurt something fierce.

"When I told them to get you outside, I didn't imagine it going quite like that," a voice said in amusement. "Are you okay?"

The white ranger froze. _'It couldn't be…'_

"Well? Are you going to answer me?"

He could hear footsteps coming closer to him, and his body instantly heated up when a soft hand connected with his arm.

"Tommy?"

Her hands reached around to the back of his head, feeling beneath his hair for a bump on his head. "I don't feel anything. Is it tender?"

He didn't answer, eyes fixated on the red nail polish that was perfectly placed on each of her toes. His eyes moved up her supple legs to the jean skirt brushing against her thighs, further up to the navel that poked out from beneath her dark green halter top. He noticed her skin was darker, tanned from the Florida heat, and her hair was past her shoulder, streaks of blonde in her chestnut locks. Her neck was exposed, crane pendant shining in the moonlight. He swallowed thickly when his eyes landed on her full lips that were covered in lip gloss, up to her perfect nose and finally locking with her confused brown eyes.

'_She is really here.'_

"Tommy?"

The white ranger cupped her face in his hands securely before crushing her lips with his in a hard kiss. Kimberly let out a sound of surprise before returning his kiss just as feverishly, fingers running over the back of his neck.

To say Tommy was overwhelmed wouldn't be adequate. With all the weirdness with Katherine and Zack and Trini's unexpected arrival, Kim's appearance had been more than he could handle in one day.

The need for air arose and he pulled back, harsh breaths escaping both of them. "How…?"

"Coach Gunther gives us one weekend off each semester besides the traditional holidays. Everyone was telling me how sad you were that I left… I wanted it to be a surprise but my flight got delayed and my bag got-"

He didn't let her finish, choosing instead to pull her in for another heated kiss. He sighed into her mouth when she sucked on his tongue, and his hands found their way to the back of her skirt, crushing her small frame against his.

"Jesus," she breathed raggedly. "When they said you missed me, they weren't lying."

Tommy couldn't formulate a smartass comment fast enough, too distracted with the need to kiss her again. Kim held up a hand to stop him, and he looked at her with wild eyes.

"Not here," she whispered as she grabbed his hand, leading him around the Youth Center to the back where there were no people.

Once they were in the clear, he kissed her hard, backing her into the wall of the Youth Center before grabbing the back of her thighs, lifting her so that she could wrap her legs around his waist.

"I missed you," he mumbled into her neck as he licked the hollow of her throat. "I missed you _so fucking much_." It scared him to realize how much truth was in the words, and he pulled her closer to him.

Kim threw her head back against the wall, groaning as he ground himself against her hard. His hands trailed down to her waist, pushing upwards to lift her shirt and bra. His lips found her breasts, teeth nipping at them gently before soothing the bites with his tongue. She rolled her hips against his in response, involuntarily pressing her clit against his erection. She let out a loud groan, hand flying out accidentally and slamming against one of the back windows.

The two stilled immediately at the sound, waiting until they were sure no one was coming before laughing softly.

"Here," said Tommy as he held her tightly to him, dropping down to his knees before laying her down on the ground beneath him.

"Much better," she said before grabbing his face and pulling him in for another kiss. He pulled back from her, yanking off his white button down shirt hastily while she pulled her shirt off. Tommy grabbed her discarded shirt and placed it beneath her head.

"Grass…hair," he said in explanation before latching onto her heaving breasts. Kim's hands snaked down between them, working at his zipper in order to free his straining erection.

Tommy moved back up her body to her mouth, tongue twirling with hers as his hands plunged beneath her skirt, fingers immediately burying between legs. He used two fingers to finger her rapidly while his thumb massaged her clit in rough circles.

"Oh fuck," she cried out, hips matching the rhythm set by his hand. He sucked hard on her neck, turned on by the sounds coming from her.

"Fuck, I can't… need you," he mumbled to himself, pulling away from her and shoving his pants and underwear down to the middle of his thighs. "Kim, I don't have a –"

She leaned forward, kissing him hard. "Birth control," she whispered against his lips. That was all he needed to hear.

Tommy pushed aside her panties with one hand, guiding himself inside of her with the other. He let out a shuddering breath when he was buried all the way inside; he stayed still with gritted teeth, knowing she needed time to adjust to his size again and enjoying the feel of her wrapped around him. He placed a hand on either side of her head, holding himself up so as not to crush her.

When he felt her relax, he began to move, making a few slow strokes before increasing the pace. Kim let out soft moans periodically, thighs tightening around his hips. He bent his legs beneath him, giving himself more leverage so he could take her harder.

He delighted in her small cries of pleasure, fucking her steadily with deep, powerful strokes. Her fingers dug into the grass, and he groaned when he felt her tighten hard around him.

"Fuck," he whispered hoarsely. "So good... missed this…"

"Oh God," she moaned in his ear. He felt her hands grab his ass roughly and he groaned from the mix of pain and pleasure from her nails digging into his skin.

"Harder," she begged loudly, placing wet kisses along his throat. "Just- ohfucklikethat…"

"Quiet," Tommy growled in her ear. "We're gonna get caught…"

Tommy looked down at where they were joined, loving how he disappeared inside of her time and time again. The position lined him up perfectly with that special spot inside of her, and he could tell she was close from how frenzied her counterthrusts were. He sighed when she spread her thighs, letting him slip in further on each stroke.

He knew he wouldn't last that long from the first kiss he laid on her. Just that first taste was enough to send him spiraling, and he knew it was the same for her. Their first time since her departure to Miami should have been sweet and loving, not on the ground behind the _Youth Center_ of all places, but since when did anything in their lives make much sense?

Tommy bit the inside of his jaw to keep from moaning, and he was sure he would be tasting blood soon. It was so fucking difficult keeping quiet with how Kim's hips rolled against his perfectly, and the way she hugged his cock was just right…

"Jesus Christ," he gasped, a guttural cry escaping him when her ankles locked behind his back, pulling him closer to her. Her breasts scraped against his chest on each thrust, and the sensation was driving him insane.

Kim's moans began to increase in volume, and her bottom lip slipped between her teeth. "Tommy, I-I think I'm…"

Tommy felt her walls clamp around him uncontrollably, and his eyes nearly crossed from the tightness. Kim stilled suddenly beneath him, back arching almost painfully.

"YESYES… _FUCK_… TO-" He slapped a hand over her mouth, breathing harshly through his nose as he heard her muffled cries beneath his hand. She shivered beneath him and her hips bucked wildly as she came, sending him right over the edge.

Tommy bit back his own hoarse shout of ecstasy as he felt his seed spill into her, and he buried his head into her shoulder to muffle the sound. He thrust sporadically as his release came to an end, sloppily placing wet kisses along her throat and chest.

He rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed as they both tried to calm their racing hearts.

"Hi," he said, once he caught his breath.

Kim grinned up at him. "I'd like to think we already exchanged proper hellos."

"Maybe." He rolled off of her and onto his back, pulling up his pants and boxers, and the two lay shoulder to shoulder looking up at the night sky.

He reached over, interlacing her fingers with his. "Thank you for coming."

Kim snorted, giggling at his unintended double entendre.

"Not like _that_, though I'm grateful for that, too." He squeezed her hand. "I really missed you."

"I missed you, too," she whispered. "When Aisha picked me up from the airport, I wasn't expecting to meet you at the homecoming dance. I usually had to drag you tooth and nail to a school dance."

He laughed. "I wasn't _that_ bad."

"Right," she said sarcastically. "So who'd you take to homecoming?"

He could feel her looking at him. "Kat."

"Oh." Kim turned away quickly. "That was… _nice_ of you."

There was something strange in her tone, and it made him sit up. "Are you mad?"

She sat up as well, straightening out her skirt and putting her shirt back on. "Should I be mad?"

He hated when she answered a question with a question. "No… because nothing happened."

"All right, then."

"And because I really wanted to go to this stupid dance with you, not Kat or anyone else," he continued.

"I know," she said softly.

"And because you know I love you."

She squeezed his hand. "I love you, too."

He understood that she was telling him she wasn't upset, that things between them were good. He needed that reassurance, even if he was _pretty_ sure he didn't anything wrong.

Tommy grabbed his undershirt off the ground, shrugging it on before turning back to Kim. "How long are you in town?"

"'til Monday night," she whispered.

He shot her a pained look. "You have to leave so soon?" Tommy hated sounding weak for anything, but at that moment he didn't even care.

"We have time," she reminded him. "Not a lot, but we can make the most of it."

He picked at the grass at his feet. "Yeah."

She perked up. "What about breakfast tomorrow? We can go down to that diner by the pier."

He frowned. "Why wait until tomorrow? We can go somewhere now."

"You're serious." Kim blinked.

He nodded. "Of course I'm serious, beautiful. We're on borrowed time." He climbed to his feet, picking up his discarded button down shirt along the way and slipping it on. He held out a hand to her.

"Let's go, no one will miss us."

Kim took his hand with a smile, only for it to melt away into one of concern. "We can't. What about Katherine?"

"What about her?"

Kim slapped his chest. "Tommy, she's your _date_ –"

"No, she isn't," he interrupted.

Kim glared, fighting hard to keep a smile off her face. "You came here with her… you're supposed to be dancing with her, not out here with me. That's rude."

He rolled his eyes. "She doesn't even know I'm gone. Besides, Zack will probably take her home. He's the one spending time with her… maybe he can walk her, too…"

"_Tommy!_" Kim yelled. "She's not a _dog_."

He shot her a look. "I didn't mean it like that, I just…" He sighed, grabbing her smaller hands in his. "I _really_ don't care what happens to Kat tonight or about this dance or any stupid obligations I made to anyone else. I haven't seen you in months, Kim… can we just be selfish and focus on us tonight?"

Tommy knew the likelihood of Kim agreeing to this was incredibly low, so he was shocked when he saw her nod slightly. He grinned, kissing her firmly on the lips. Her hands slid to his chest, pushing him back from her.

"Before we leave, I'm going to let Aisha know we're heading out. I don't want Kat freaking out when she finds out you ditched her."

If her words were supposed to make him feel guilty, Kim failed miserably for he only grinned goofily in her direction. She rolled her eyes before heading around to the front of the Youth Center.

The white ranger sighed happily. Kimberly was here, in the flesh, for him. The thought alone was dizzying to the eighteen-year-old. He felt as if he could run a hundred miles _and_ defeat Lord Zedd with how much energy he had from Kim's arrival. He wanted to run around screaming at the top of his lungs how happy he was that Kimberly was back in town.

Even if it was for only a little while.

Tommy ran full speed to his jeep, not wanting to waste a single minute of the time he had left with the former pink ranger. As he sat in his vehicle waiting for her to come out of the center, he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit guilty for leaving Kat. Once Kim was gone, he'd have to deal with the mess of how poorly he handled the Kat situation…he wasn't looking forward to that.

'_At least I won't have to worry about it until Kim is gone,'_ he thought happily.

The door to the Youth Center opened then and out came Kimberly. Her skirt was a little crooked, her hair tousled, and her expression similar to that of a woman who had been properly fucked. She made her way over to his jeep, opening the passenger door and climbing in. She ran a hand through her hair, and Tommy was instantly aware of just how sexy she looked doing that.

"Aisha will take care of everything," she said, biting her bottom lip. "I still feel bad, though."

"Yeah," he said, more out of obligation than because he felt bad.

Kim laughed. "I can see you're torn up about this." She shook her head. "Where are we headed?"

"The beach," he answered.

"This late at night?"

"Live a little, Kim." He threw a salacious grin her way. "Haven't you always wanted to have sex on the beach?"

Kim looked at him with wide eyes before crossing her legs, and he instantly focused on how her skirt rode up her smooth thighs. "Let's go."

The white ranger grinned as he backed out of the Youth Center parking lot, nearly hitting a pedestrian in his excitement.

Homecoming weekend just got a _whole_ lot better.

* * *

_One-shot, no sequels. Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated._


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